Heaven Sends and Heaven Takes
by morphine cowboy
Summary: Leon and Ada find their fate is once again intertwined by their professions. However they soon find themselves as pawns in a deadly game, with Albert Wesker pulling the strings. Can they escape and find the happiness they’ve been searching for? leonxada
1. Chapter 1

"This looks familiar," Leon sighed, resting his head against the cold car window. He casually looked over at the man driving the car, to see if he had acknowledged what Leon had said, but was met with a vacant stare. He thought back to his briefing, where an over-eager young agent explained the details of his transportation, informing Leon that he would have a driver that was fluent in Romanian, Russian, German, and Arabic. This caused a small smile to play across Leon's face. They gave him a guy who could speak everything but English.

He turned his attention back to the Romanian country side, and he couldn't help but connect the rugged landscape of the Carpathian valley to that of the rustic Spanish backwoods. He hoped the similarities would end there. Leon vaguely became aware that the car was slowing down, distinctly in the middle of nowhere. He continued to be plagued by the memories of his mission in Spain as he turned his head back toward the windshield, where he noticed that there was a recently constructed barricade in the middle of the road, made of a small barbed wire fence, some sand bags, and a sign in Romanian.

Leon noticed the driver peer carefully at the sign, biting his bottom lip and ruffling his fingers through his jet back hair. He was young, a man in his mid twenties with a warm smile and a hearty laugh. He had a habit of launching into a story, although Leon couldn't understand a word he was saying, and then throwing his head back in laughter. The driver began to ruffle through the glove box, before pulling out a pair of thick leather gloves and a combat knife.

This caused Leon to arch his eyebrows in confusion, and he instinctively reached for the 9mm pistol he always kept by his side. The driver seemed to notice Leon's apprehension and pointed out towards the wire fence, apparently indicating that he was going to cut it. As the young man left the car, Leon was left alone to retreat into his memories. First came the haunting, inescapable images of the horrible Los Illuminados. He saw the faces of the Ganados, contorted in rage as they clamored for his blood. He remembered the abject horror he felt, the unknowing fear and the crippling nausea that overcame him when Ashley was taken away from him in the castle.

And as the images filled his mind, he did what he always did when they threatened to overwhelm him; he tried to salvage some decency out of the ordeal. He remembered the hero's welcome he received when he got home, and the relief on Ashley's face when he removed the plaga. But most of all he remembered Ada. The way she looked when she was suspended and seemingly helpless, her calm demeanor as she reappeared into his life, the casual indifference she showed as she'd leave him alone on the island, heading out into imminent danger, only to return unscathed. He massaged his temples as he replayed the situation with her again and again. The time he had spent with her was so little, but the memories were so powerful. It had been nearly a year since the excursion to Spain, and just as long since he'd seen her.

He let out a deep sigh, the memories of those hours pressing down on him, compounded with the years of frustration. A sudden noise jolted Leon from his reprieve. It was a loud screech, reminiscent of a predatory bird. He quickly scanned the horizon, but saw nothing strange; just the pervasive grey sky, dead trees, and craggy mountain road. A glance at the driver provided no reassurance. The man was frozen in place, one hand gripping the wire fencing, the other idly holding the knife. Leon noticed most 

of the sandbags had been cleared, along with a good portion of the wire. The sign was still there, and for the first time he took a good look at it. White font on a blood red backdrop, there were a few lines of the Romanian warning. At the bottom was a skull- danger that needed no translation.

There it was again, that noise. This time louder, much louder. Leon leaned forward, straining his head over the dashboard, peering up into the heavens. A piercing scream brought Leon looking back through the windshield, but he brought his head down too fast, smacking the side of his face up against the dashboard.

"Dammit!" he cursed, holding his eye as he peered through the windshield. The driver was sprinting to the car, shouting madly in Romanian, arms flailing, and the knife discarded. The pain caused a moment of confusion, but the moment was brief, and soon Leon was pressing his back tightly against the seat, his eyes wide and his jaw hanging open in disbelief.

The wings were the first thing he saw. Black and leathery, they formed a wing length of what must've been twelve feet. Protruding off of the creatures stomach were six arms, some with claws and others with pincers. Its legs were long and skinny, curved at extreme angels to form the knees, and its feet resembled those of a hawk. As it was bent over in flight, its head was hard to make out.

The creature swooped in on the driver with a majestic grace, its movements fluid and beautiful. But the man was also fast, having closed the distance to the car in an impressive time. Unfortunately, the flying nightmare was faster, and in the blink of an eye it had descended down upon the driver. Its feet dug into his back, and the momentum brought him crashing into the hood of the car with a violent thud. But just as quickly, it brought him back up again, fresh blood streaming from his broken nose. Is arms kept him suspended as the monsters wings simultaneously raised before they pierced into his stomach, their tips as sharp as any knife.

Leon involuntarily flinched as the man's screams pierced through the mountain air, and as he began to flail uncontrollably. Just then Leon caught his first good glimpse of the creature's head. It was as pitch black as the rest of the body, and shaped like an upside down crescent moon. Its eyes were glowing red, and when Leon caught sight of them, a sinister smile spread across the thing's fanged mouth. But a second later, the mouth split open four ways, and it closed around the driver's head, before savagely ripping it off. By now the windshield was thoroughly coated in blood, and Leon was unwilling to lose another moment. He threw his leg over the divide between the passengers and drivers side. Desperately he searched for the break, and as soon as he found it he shifted the car into drive, before proceeding to slam on the accelerator. He did his best to grab onto the wheel as the car lurched forward, and he ducked low, before the inevitable contact with the creature.

But it was too fast. It quickly discarded the mangled corpse of the driver, before jumping into flight. But just as its legs had left the ground, the car smashed forward, hooking one its feet through the windshield. Leon was sprayed with broken glass as he struggled to maintain the vehicle. The thing was slammed onto the roof of the car as Leon hit the remnants of the barricade. His struggle with control of the car ended in a bitter defeat as he swerved uncontrollably, causing the monster to be thrown onto the street. Leon fishtailed before screeching to a stop, sending his head slamming into the glove box.

He was in a haze, unable to react properly. He groped around for his trusty 9mm, but ended up with fistfuls of air. He began to breathe heavily, and his vision began to fade in and out of focus as he began to panic, imagining the towering monstrosity lumbering over to finish him off. But then he heard piercing gunfire not too far off, seemingly coming from an automatic rifle of some sort. There was a pitiful screech, presumably from the creature, and then there was silence. Silence except for the steady sound of approaching footsteps. Leon desperately tried to lift his head, but was unsuccessful. Instead he stared at the driver's window, trying to keep his eyes open as a trickle of blood ran down his forehead. The footsteps had stopped, and a face appeared in the driver side window.

Leon's heart jumped as he instantly recognized that it was Ada. He coughed, trying to say something but found himself unable to speak. A look of concern washed over her face. "Leon," she gasped, "what are you doing here?"


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews, it's so great to see that this pairing has a great group of people behind it. Even if you're just looking to read another resident evil fic, I hope you enjoy, and I look forward to reading and writing more for the resident evil fandom.

Ada was doing her best to divide her attention between watching the road and admiring the unconscious form of Leon. It wasn't the easiest task; after all she was driving at speeds that no one should attempt on an unfamiliar mountain road, but she had a lot of experience in working towards multiple objectives. She was truly shocked to have encountered Leon; the thought of running into him on this mission hadn't crossed her mind. That wasn't to say Leon hadn't been on her mind. Far from it. He crept into her thoughts and dreams, forcing her to second guess the choices she made; forcing her to second guess where her life was going. It was just that her mission briefing had been very thorough, but had mentioned nothing of the American government operating within the area, much less agent Leon Kennedy.

But she had haunting suspicions that this was mission was an elaborate set up by Wesker; an attempt to get rid of her for good. He had acted like he bought her story about what happened in Spain, that he still had full confidence in her ability to successfully carry out a mission. But Ada had sensed subtle changes in his demeanor regarding her. Instead of the harsh, take-no-shit mentality he had before, he would act calm when she questioned his orders, and act with what seemed to be a hint of sympathy if she ran into a hardship. It was disgusting when Albert Wesker tried to show any signs of humanity, much less hideously forced sympathy. But she picked up on these nuances, and figured he was just trying to catch her off guard. Like a fox smooth talking a deer into being devoured. Either way she felt she needed to be particularly alert for this mission, though her carefully laid plans needed to be improvised now that Leon was around.

She noticed he was beginning to stir, blinking in disbelief as he awoke in her car. She smiled to herself and made an effort to focus entirely on the road now. The shock of finding him had worn off, and albeit reluctantly, she slipped back into her armor, unwilling to let her feelings cloud her judgment. She decided she'd let him talk first, it'd be interesting to hear what he had to say.

Leon tried to shake the fog from his eyes as one by one his senses returned to him. Unfortunately, the first to return was the pain from the accident, a dull throb that encompassed his entire head. But he was also feeling a cool breeze from the mountain air seeping in through the cracked window, lulling him out of the haze he was in. He could make out the distant sound of a song playing lowly on the radio. It was an upbeat French pop song with a catchy chorus, but Leon couldn't understand a word that was being said.

The last to return was comprehension. He sat up with a jolt, immediately looked back out the window as memories of death, violence, and Ada swirled in his head. Ada was so startled that she unintentionally broke her concentration on the road and took a sideways glance at Leon.

"Ada, tell me what happened," he demanded, more intense than either predicted.

But she knew how to handle a situation like this and kept her cool. "What, no flippant remark about the music, no tough guy antics?" She asked, keeping both hands firmly on the wheel.

"This is no time for jokes, a man just died and something almost killed me. Now I need you to tell me exactly what happened,"

Ada sighed, unable to withhold the information any longer. "I can't tell you much, because I honestly don't know that much. I heard something, drove up, and saw something I wish I hadn't. I shot at it, and it flew away, then I saw you. Does that satisfy your curiosity?"

Leon folded his arms, clearly unsatisfied with the short response. "Do you know where that thing came from?"

"I've got a few ideas"

Leon was beginning to get impatient. He had spent a good portion of the year imagining a reunification with Ada. He had dreamt up scores of different scenarios about how she would find herself back in his life, and as farfetched as some of them were, this was nowhere near how he had hoped it would occur. "Care to elaborate?"

She smiled. "No, not really."

He sighed, and shook his head. He expected as much. "Well then do you mind telling me why you're here Ada?" He asked the question, but had a feeling that he wasn't going to get an honest answer.

"Oh Leon, I could ask you the same thing. But…"

"I'm here on an assignment from the government. There's some interest in constructing anti-missle defense sites in the area. You may have heard about similar projects in Poland or the Czech Republic," he cut her off, and spoke fast. She made as if to reply, but he kept on talking. Maybe if he opened up, she'd reciprocate. "We've had a few people examine the area. Not field agents or anything, just a few architects and project planners. They've disappeared, and intel thinks this communist guerrilla group is behind it. Anyways, someone contacted us saying they have evidence incriminating this group. I was on my way to meet him when I was attacked." He paused for a moment, waiting to see if she had anything to say. He lowered his voice, and replaced the hurried monotone he used to explain his mission with some of the compassion Ada remembered from Raccoon. "Now Ada, can you please tell me why you're here?"

She was silent for a moment, pretending as if to focus intently on the road, but Leon could tell she was deep in thought. She eased off the accelerator and turned up the radio before nodding her head ever so slightly, indicating for Leon to lean in closer. Tentatively he did, not sure what was going on. Ada leaned over and started to whisper into his ear, but for a moment her words had no meaning as he drank in the sound of her voice. He briefly shook his head, and began to focus in on what she was saying.

"I think this car is bugged, so I can't say anything incriminating out loud. I'm here on Wesker's orders to assassinate three men who have been researching the collapse of Umbrella. They must've done a pretty thorough job because Wesker wants them dead. But I think I'm the real target in all of this." She gave Leon a sly smile before whispering one last thing. "You see, I haven't been playing by his rules lately."

Leon nodded, absorbing the information and dwelling on the intimate sound her voice took when she whispered. He gave her an overly exaggerated wink before asking, "Come on Ada, tell me why you're in Romania" he tried to come off as serious, but it was a little over the top. Unlike her, he had never been a great actor.

She did her best to suppress a laugh. "That's need to know, and well, you know the rest. I'm sorry Leon; I'll have to keep you in the dark on this one. But…" she gave him a playful look, "how about I find another way to make it up to you." She felt a little satisfaction as she hoped for once that Wesker _was _listenin_g_ in.

"Now I like the sounds of that," Leon replied, before noticing a dirt road forking off from the main one. "Ada, stop the car for a second," he examined the divide, noticing the new road continued along the edge of the mountain, while the main road branched off into an alpine forest. From the best he could remember of his briefing, this looked like the aerial shots the spy planes had taken. If he was correct, his contact's house should be about three miles down the dirt road.

"I think this is where I get off," he stated, unbuckling his seat belt. He reluctantly grabbed the handle to the door, and looked back at Ada. His gaze lingered for a moment, his mind dwelling on how unfair the situation was, as his time with her was once again cut so short. But like her, he was a professional and he had a mission that needed to be carried out.

She was eager to return his stare, also deeply regretting the succinctness of their reunion. "Well, I'd hate for you to have to hitch a ride all the way back. You never know what types of people are on the roads. I got some business to take care of not too far away, but if you're willing to wait right here when you're done, I can drive you back to Bucharest and we can catch up over some coffee." She shrugged, "well, that is if you want to."

Relief flooded Leon and he was quick to reply. "Sounds good to me." With that he opened the door and began walking down the dirt road.

Not long after he left the car, Ada's video phone rang. As she connected, she instantly recognized the snarling face of Wesker.

"I see you've once again ran into your old friend. I trust you haven't told him anything."

"I have a feeling you already know that's the case."

He snarled, "If he becomes a distraction, you'll have a fourth target to take care of." And with that he disconnected, allowing Ada some quiet for the rest of her drive.


	3. Chapter 3

If it weren't for the fact that he had been viciously attacked and witnessed a man being torn to shreds by a monstrosity, and if the shock of running into the woman he had wanted to see more than anything else over the past year hadn't consumed his thought process, Leon might have actually enjoyed the walk up to his contact's house. As it was, there was a refreshing breeze that made the crisp mountain air have a sense of peaceful serenity. The trees were a mixture of grand evergreens and dead and brambly birches; providing a vibrant and enjoyable contrast.

Unfortunately, due to his earlier encounter Leon was tensed and unwilling to let his guard down. After all, Ada had said that the creature had flown off. He walked quickly, his hands shoved into the pockets of his jacket, and his eyes darting around to find anything that seemed suspicious. But everything seemed to be in its right place, and his walk was uneventful. That was until he laid eyes on the house.

The house itself was in a tragic state of disrepair. Two stories tall, its paint was discolored and peeling. The wood to build the house looked like it had been extracted from the nearby forest as the lumber was ripe with imperfections and warped, and numerous holes in the roof did nothing to add to the house's image. On one side of the house was a heap of junk, the crowning piece being a rusting Soviet-era sedan on cinder blocks; with its windows missing and weeds growing out of a partially closed hood.

On the other side was something much more worrisome than either the junk or the house. It was a monumental domed cage, four stories high and at least a hundred yards wide. Inside was a mess of trees and other things, but the cage dwarfed the house, and Leon couldn't discern what was inside. Regardless, he walked up and knocked on the door. The man who answered was just as unappealing as the house. He looked to be in his mid forties, but he was completely bald and wore very thick glasses. He wasn't necessarily fat, but he was certainly round. His skin was a pasty white, but by far the most offensive feature about him was a smug smile that was plastered upon his face the moment he opened the door.

"Nice place you got here, Mr. Hodges" Leon stated, hoping he didn't sound as sarcastic as he felt. He was surprised he was able to remember the man's name from his briefing, considering the eventful trip up. The name he provided was Josiah Hodges, but the agency wasn't able to dig up any background information on him, so they figured it was an alias.

"Have any trouble finding it?" The man responded, still with the smug smile. Leon instantly noticed that he didn't have an eastern accent. In fact, he sounded like he was from the states.

"You're not from around here, are you?" Leon asked as he crossed the threshold into the house. The inside was just as disorganized and unappealing. Furniture and other decorations seemed to be placed in an arbitrary manner; it was like the anarchy of interior design. There was a fine layer of dirt and dust in most areas, but it appeared as if someone had made a half-hearted attempt to clean the place up.

"Born and raised in Nebraska," the man replied, a sense of pride evident in his voice.

"What drove you to lovely Romania?"

"I'm a sucker for fresh mountain air."

Leon let out a brief laugh. "Were the Rockies too far away then?"

The man's smile morphed into a frown, and he furrowed his brow in annoyance. "Let's get to the matter at hand." He lead Leon into a small kitchen, and indicated that Leon take a seat. "Just one moment, Mr. Kennedy." Leon sat on the visibly hand-made furniture, while his host shouted something in Romanian. Leon tensed as he heard footsteps creaking from the floor above. Slowly another man descended down the stairs, carrying an ancient looking rifle.

Leon stood up and whipped out his pistol in one fluid motion. He had the newcomer's head in the view of his barrel, willing to send him to his death at the slightest provocation. "What is this?" he snarled to Josiah, who seemed to be viewing the whole situation with an amused smirk.

"You have nothing to fear here, Mr. Kennedy. My friend, Ferdinand, was simply bringing down the information I need to present to you." With that he shot the man on the stairs a concerned look and said something under his breath. Ferdinand was indeed carrying a manila file folder, which he held in the air, while slowly lowering his rifle. Leon conceded, and too holstered his pistol, before returning to his seat.

"Now I would appreciate it if you would read through the report I've worked so hard to assemble for you and your government, to make sure it is suitable. I am looking for a reward in all this you know," Josiah said as he dropped the folder in front of Leon. "If you'll be kind enough to excuse me, there is something else I have to retrieve from the basement for you."

Leon nodded absently as he opened the folder and began rummaging through the various pictures and memos inside. Out of the corner of his eye he kept his attention trained on Ferdinand, who was now once again holding the rifle, as well as a gas lantern. He walked over to where Josiah was, and together the two of them opened a trap door and slowly descended into the basement, Ferdinand having the rifle out in front of him, finger on the trigger.

"Afraid of the dark?" Leon called out. The only reply he got was a toothy grin from Josiah. As the two disappeared from view, Leon began to look at the report in earnest. First he scanned over a few of the observations that had been typed out. There were lists of names, details about the movement of arms and supplies, possible addresses and contacts, but none of it really meant anything significant to Leon. He set sifted through them, and began to pull out the pictures. The first few were simple snap shots of cars and buildings, once again not meaning too much without being linked to anything conclusive. Then there were pictures of the suspected guerillas, sometimes just a lone figure silhouetted against the forest. The shots were all obscure, hard to make anything concrete.

Finally there were pictures of the hostages, and disturbingly there was nothing vague about them. Leon picked up the first one and held it at eye level, so the light of lamp hanging above the table illuminated the figure on the page. It was a young woman, handcuffed and sitting in the corner of a dark room, duct tape over her mouth. Her eyes were wide and shone with abject fear. Leon instantly remembered back to his mission briefing; her name was Julia Sheppard. As his eyes bore into the picture, he imagined her picture from the overhead in the board room. In that picture she was smiling, her hair straightened and 

brunette with highlights, ending just above her shoulders. She had been so excited to have gotten the job with the CIA, and this was the first project she had been assigned to. She was the assistant to one of the project managers, who had consequently also gone missing. Leon even remembered a brief conversation he had with her one day, not long after she joined the agency. She had been flirty and full of energy, excited that her first job took her to Europe.

Now as he looked at picture he saw her hair was a mess and there was evidence of bruising under her eyes. Her eyes seemed to be staring up at him, and for a moment he thought that she looked like Ashley when he first encountered her in the church. Scared, isolated from anyone she cared about, and surrounded by people who only intended to do her harm. In a strange place with no feasible way to escape, uncertainty surrounding and choking every moment. Uncertainty of how long she had to live, uncertainty of what hellish force she would have to encounter next.

Leon quickly placed the picture on the table, face down and examined the next one, feeling unnerved. It was a man lying on a concrete floor, blindfolded. Leon couldn't even tell if he was alive. But one haunting aspect of the picture trumped all the others; the striking amount of detail available in the shot. The camera couldn't have been more than five feet away, considering the room seemed to be pitch black, and flash was being utilized. If Josiah took these pictures that means he would've had to have been within an arm's reach of the hostages. Leon gently set the image down as footsteps creaked up the stairs, and Josiah emerged out of the darkness.

He closed the trap door, and pulled a padlock out of his pocket and inserted it to a loop on the door, fastening it shut. Leon noted the other man hadn't emerged from the basement. With as calm a demeanor as he could muster, Leon asked, "I thought you were going down there to get something?"

The man silently walked over and sat down at the table across from Leon. He picked up the picture of Julia and shook his head slowly. "It's such a shame when innocent people get caught up in the struggle between ideologies." The tone was supposed to be saddened, but Leon detected a hint of mockery.

"How'd you get those pictures?" he asked through clenched teeth.

"You know I specifically requested that they send you, Leon," he replied, dodging the question.

"What?" Leon gripped the edge of the table, mentally preparing to draw his gun if necessary.

"Well, Albert Wesker ordered me to request you."

Leon made up his mind there and then; he was going to kill this man. His hand dropped from the table, quickly finding the familiar grip of his 9mm. As he made to get up, a loud sound reverberated in his ear drums, and he suddenly felt that he was falling. He processed it all in a second, years of police and government training giving him unparalleled reflexes and improvisational skills. A small explosion must've detonated on the floor under his chair. As he began to fall, he outstretched both arms, hoping to find something to grab onto. They hit the wood paneling of the floor, and he braced himself, devoting all his strength to holding on. As his gun and debris from the explosion clanked on the cement basement floor below, Leon strained to keep himself from falling, his fingernails digging into the kitchen 

floor. His arms were already quivering, as he had nothing solid to hold onto, and as he tried to rise his legs up he felt suddenly nauseous. His brain was pounding and he clenched his eyes closed, focusing everything on keeping from falling. But the distant sound of footsteps echoed in his head, and he wrenched his eyes open, to look at the face of Josiah.

"Once you fall, you will die relatively quickly. What's down there won't play around or savor the kill." He paused to wipe his glasses on his shirt. "Your friend, she won't be so lucky." Suddenly Leon's thoughts were off holding himself up and on to Ada. Her suspicions that Wesker was planning on killing her were right. He felt himself slipping into the hole.

"Yes, Wesker simply instructed that you be killed, he didn't give any specifics. He wanted you out here so that the murder would be linked to some guerrilla organization, and would have absolutely no way of being traced back to him. With the girl, he gave a detailed and very, very gruesome set of directions." He squatted down next to Leon, and whispered, "I wasn't even able to do what he asked. Someone else had to take care of her."

Leon tried to head butt him, but the man was too far away. Instead he lost his grip, and plunged into the basement with a scream. He landed with a thud, and found himself illuminated by a small stream of light that came from the kitchen above. Everything else was engulfed in a pervasive darkness, and Leon couldn't see more than a few feet in front of him. He coughed and slowly got to his feet, trying to assess the situation.

"You took the hostages, didn't you?" He shouted up, able to see the smug face through the hole in the floor above him.

"I had to have some way to draw you out here, didn't I?"

"Are they alive?"

The man let out a shrill laugh. "Even on the brink of your own death, you're still worrying about other people. I don't get you Mr. Kennedy. If your gun fell down there, I would recommend using it on yourself," he let out another laugh. "You won't be able to kill what's down there, but I wouldn't want a magnanimous person such as yourself to suffer.

With that, he walked away, leaving Leon alone with whatever was waiting to kill him. But even as he was isolated in the darkness with seemingly no escape routes available, he found himself petrified, not for his own safety, but for that of Ada's. His mind wrapped around what the man had said, about Wesker having special orders in her assassination. He needed to get to her; he needed to save her.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I really am sorry it took so long to update, but a lot has been going on. Today I finally had a large portion of free time and I finished up this chapter. The next chapter might be up as soon as Wednesday, but then again, probably not. Continued feedback appreciated, y'all are the best.

The telescopic scope of Ada's Dragunov rifle rested comfortably on her right eye as she peered out into the horizon. As her view settled on the house of her first hit, she withdrew from the lens, and rested the rifle on her shoulder. She needed a better vantage point if she was going to get a clear shot; something that couldn't be accomplished on the hill that she was currently positioned. Quickly she analyzed her options, before narrowing down her choices to two locations.

The first was a four story grain silo with a narrow balcony towards the top. It would provide a flawless line of site to the house, with perfect visibility of all the front windows and the door. There was nothing to obstruct her view and nothing to interrupt her concentration. And that's exactly why Ada decided against the location. If Wesker was going to strike early, this is undoubtedly where he'd launch the attack. Ada figured that it was probably rigged with explosives or under surveillance by a hostile sniper. It was too convenient; too easy. And none of the missions Wesker had assigned her had ever been easy.

She allowed herself a small smile as she made her way to an abandoned barn. She wasn't going down _that _easy. As it was she was settling on a much less ideal location. From what she could tell the barn had only one window that would suffice, and even then it was on an unforgiving angle. Nevertheless, a difficult shot was preferable to the possibility of walking into an ambush, and Ada was never one to take a needless risk in order to make things easier on herself. She set down her rifle and pushed open the large door to the barn.

"Anyone home?" She called into the darkness that greeted her. As expected, the only response was silence. She walked into the shadows and silhouettes of the barn and let her eyes adjust to the darkness. Through the dirtied and breaking down equipment of the barn she made out the form of a ladder that ascended to a loft above. Ada mentally mapped out a path to the ladder, making careful note of obstacles on the ground. With a sigh she closed the door to the barn encompassing the decrepit building in a pure darkness; trading vision for the security that no one would be able to sneak into the place unnoticed. She cautiously made her way to the ladder and climbed to the floor above.

A small portion of the second story was illuminated by a faint glow from a small circular window. She groped her way over to the light, unable to make out her surroundings. When she made it to the window, she dropped to her knees and rested the scope on the edge, peering out into the grey Romanian countryside. The floors creaked uncomfortably under her, and as she began to peer through the scope of her rifle, she found her concentration interrupted by a nagging fear that the floor would collapse under her.

She regained her composure when she settled in on her target's house. As predicted, the angle of the shot was not the one which she desired; but she had faith in her abilities. She was prepared to settle in 

and wait for her target to return home; but to her surprise she saw a man sitting in front of an open window.

She readjusted the sight until she could properly identify the man. It was him; it was definitely the same man from her briefing. But now he looked much worse for wear. He was slouched over in a chair, and even from her distant perch she could make out some bruising. She paused a moment before taking the shot; pondering the implications of the man being there. Perhaps his presence indicated that she was just on another mission, that her paranoia was an unjustified manifestation of her uneasiness after her betrayal.

A sudden wave of relief washed over her, and after a quick scan of the dark barn she raised her rifle again; murder on her mind. She lined up the shot and tried her best to calm her breathing. Finding the trajectory path she wanted she took a last look at her target, who seemed to be squirming as though he had some sort of divine knowledge that he was about to die. Ada took the shot.

As the deafening crack of the shot shattered the silence, as the force of the gun's recoil reverberated through her, as the spent cartridge danced on the floor by her feet a pang of guilt swept through her, dispelling any relief that she had felt upon the realization that she might have been set-up by Wesker. She had killed an innocent man, one who was crusading to bring the secrets of a corrupt corporation to justice.

"Get a hold of yourself," she muttered as she rationalized her actions. It was no time to get weak; she still had two more hits to carry out. She tried to calm herself by retracing the steps of the mission in her mind. Her next target, located approximately two miles south of the barn was a young brunette woman. There wouldn't be much of a chance for a long range hit, so she would have to take her out at close proximity. But first things first; she had to inform Wesker of her progress.

She pressed the call button on her earpiece and was instantly connected to command. "Chris Holland has been neutralized. Making my way over to Ms. Shepard's now." She reported as she peered through the scope on her rifle to affirm that she had scored a kill. Telltale blood splatters on the wall behind where he used to be confirmed she had.

"Good. What's your current position?" Wesker answered. Ada paused a second, her old fears resurfacing. Perhaps the question was a mere formality, but her instincts associated a much more sinister motive with it.

"Ada, tell me your position," he repeated, this time much more forcefully.

"Some sort of grain silo," she lied. She heard the faint sound of crackling in the dark below. Her heart froze and her eyes widened as she came to a realization that someone or something was down there. She heard movement below; it was faint but she had trained herself to pick up on such sounds.

"Are you going to continue to deceive me until the end?"

"Wesker, what is this?" She whispered harshly as she franticly scanned for any escape options. The small window was too constricting to fit through and could cause her to break a leg if she jumped through.

"Your lies got you into this Ada, but they won't get you out."

She looked back to the ladder. She could try and make it down the ladder, but the barn door was closed and wouldn't open easily. She couldn't fight, simply because she couldn't see. She attempted to grope her way over to the ladder, but the darkness concealed the path and her progress was slow. "A bomb in my hotel room not your style? I'm flattered you'd go through all this effort just for me, but bringing me to Romania just seems excessive," she said, trying to conceal her fear with sarcasm.

"Your betrayals elicited something a bit more… extreme"

She was in a cold sweat as she stumbled around; not knowing what was down there or exactly where she was going. She made it to where the ladder was propped up against the loft. She pushed against it and it toppled to the floor below. That could buy her enough time to formulate a proper plan. The distinctive sound of footsteps and the creaking of the floorboards created an even larger concern for Ada. Someone was upstairs with her. She crept behind a box and closed her eyes, trying to think of any strategy that could save her.

"You won't be the only one to die in Romania," Wesker continued, purposefully pausing to let the intent of his words sink in.

Ada froze immediately, suddenly feeling very, very sick. The sound of approaching footsteps suddenly faded out and the fact that someone had raised the ladder she kicked down was temporarily meaningless. "Leon…" she involuntarily whispered.

"My men inform me that he has already been killed. He came to gather information about hostages. One of which you just got through murdering."

Ada felt her hands quiver as she opened her mouth to reply, but found herself at a loss for words. She hung her head as she dropped to her knees. Somewhere in the distance she could hear someone climbing up the ladder, and the creaking of footsteps became more prevalent. She gulped in short, raspy breathes of the stale air. Thoughts of Leon overpowered concern over the imminent danger she found herself in. She remembered the sad smile he bore when he stepped out of her car as the voice of Wesker once again entered her head.

"You chose this fate and sealed his Ada if you hadn't…."

"FUCK YOU," she screamed as she tore the earpiece off and smashed it into the ground. She quickly pulled a knife that she carried on the side of her leg out of its sheath and stood up. Her eyes focused on the shadowy form of an approaching figure and she threw the knife with all the force she could muster. The knife smashed into the torso of the shadow, and Ada could discern that he appeared to be looking at the object that was protruding from his chest. Shit, he must be wearing Kevlar.

But he was distracted and that was all Ada needed. She burst out from behind cover and bounded through the darkness to the ladder. She remembered seeing a rotten pile of hay before she closed the door to the barn. With reckless abandon she grabbed the top rung of the ladder and leaped through the darkness to the floor below, bringing the ladder and the figure on it down with her.

She flew through the air as the surprised yelp of the man climbing the ladder filled the barn. The sensation of falling ended abruptly as her senses were assaulted by the hay that broke her landing. It smelled horrible and burned against her skin. But it was better than falling prey to Wesker's cronies, and she quickly found herself back on her feet, using her memory of the layout of the barn to close the distance to the entrance. She heard the man from the ladder get up, and a loud thud lead her to guess that the man from the second floor emulated her escape plan. She wrenched the door open, and slowly it creaked wide enough to allow her passage to the outside.

She ran towards where she had left her car, for inside of it was a wide assortment of weapons. Her rifle was discarded by the window and she had Beretta, but it wouldn't pierce the armor that these men were wearing. As her car came into view, Ada felt herself knocked back by a shockwave. She instinctively turned away as her vehicle was engulfed in a bright explosion.

The two men had emerged from the barn as Ada desperately searched for cover. She saw one of them was carrying a sub machine gun, but she seriously doubted he would use it. Wesker wouldn't go through all of this just to gun her down. She found her back against a tree, and pulled out her Berretta. A sporadic burst of gunfire erupted, just close enough to Ada to cause concern; but she reassured herself that they weren't aiming to kill, just aiming to scare.

She fired a few shots back, hoping to scatter and isolate the two. It didn't work, and they continued their cautious approach to the tree. Ada could now feel their presence mere feet away from her, signaling her window to strike was closing. One of the men rounded the tree as Ada moved in the opposite direction to attack. She caught the other off guard, and grabbed him by the back of the head, slamming him face first into the tree. He instinctively brought his hands to his face as he buckled at the knees. Ada capitalized on the opportunity, smashing her elbow into the area of his neck where his body armor ended and his helmet began.

As he collapsed unconscious to the ground she continued around the tree to where the other man was, and she found him facing the opposite direction. She gave a swift kick to the back of his legs, sending him sprawling to the floor, and causing him to drop his gun. She picked it up and pointed it at him, "Take off your helmet or I will kill you," she commanded.

Slowly he removed the helmet, which also had a pair of night vision goggles, and set it on the ground next to him. He had short brown hair and brown eyes that showed no sign of fear. In one swift movement Ada brought the butt of the gun straight into his face, instantly knocking him out.

She wasted no more time and ran off in the direction she had dropped Leon off. If there was a chance; any chance that he was still alive; she needed to be by his side.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I was vacationing back at the same place where I first was inspired to write this story, so I had a huge motivation to continue. I had writers block and gave up last time, and I regret it! A reminder of whats happening: Leon is in Romania on an assignment to save some hostages when hes attacked. Ada saves him, but drives off to do a mission for Wesker, which is really a setup. Leon is also setup, and is trapped in the basement of the man who was supposed to reveal where the hostages were.

As soon as his head cleared, Leon equipped himself as best he could for battle. That is the best he could considering he was stranded alone in the basement of a man who was hired to murder him by one of the most sinister and powerful figures in the world. His gun was lost among the rubble, but he was wielding a flashlight in one hand and his knife in the other. Still, he felt grossly underprepared for whatever danger lurked in the darkness. He tentatively stepped out of the small circle of light that was protruding from the hole to the kitchen floor above, and into the unknown.

The frantic beams of his flashlight only set his nerves further on end. Everywhere in the surprisingly large cellar were horrific remainders of grisly incidents. Rusted and unlatched cages, gore splattered on the walls, grimy instruments, and even the occasional umbrella logo. Leon crept forth with the utmost caution, but at the same time with a grim determination. The sooner he could find a way out of this man-made hell, the sooner he could get back to Ada's arms.

Creaks, an unsettling scratching noise, and a repetitive dripping sound haunted Leon's every step. He constantly whirled around, to assure himself that there was nothing creeping up behind him. Suddenly he gasped as he tripped over something fleshy, sending him sprawling and weaponless. He immediately recoiled back from his fall, until he felt a wall behind him.

From where his flashlight landed he could see an outstretched arm in a pool of blood. He immediately recognized the sleeve to belong to Ferdinand's jacket. Feeling incredibly vulnerable, Leon dashed to pick up his flashlight. As soon as it was in his hand he pointed it at the corpse of the recently deceased. Two massive wounds were in the lifeless Romanian's abdomen, and his skinny form had bloated considerably. Leon recalled hearing no scream or disturbance, meaning the horrific death had taken the man completely by surprise. Leon immediately grabbed the dead man's discarded rifle that lay a few yards away and once again scanned his confines.

In the distance a furnace roared into life, immediately drawing Leon's full concern. The beam of his flashlight momentarily illuminated a scurrying figure. Leon's hands trembled slightly as he processed what he had just seen. The thing had the body of a grotesquely mutated spider, hairy and boiled with the torso of a man extending off of it, and a head clouded in darkness. Leon guessed it was only a foot or so taller than him, but its arachnid body was frightfully large. The words of Josiah echoed in his head, that his own death would pale in comparison to the truly detestable schemes Wesker had conjured to destroy Ada. After Leon had glimpsed the cause of what might be his own demise, he panicked at the thought of what could be happening to Ada at that very moment.

Once again the fear he had for his own safety evaporated and he scanned the horizon with the beam of his flashlight, but to no avail. Although he didn't see it, Leon still knew exactly where the creature was. He rolled to the side quickly, as it lunged at him from the ceiling above. It swiped at him, but he shot it twice point blank with the rifle. As expected the monster was anything but dead. Its eight massive legs scuttled back, and it recoiled from the impact of the rifle shots. Leon ran as fast as he could to the back of the basement. He jumped into a massive cage with iron bars on all sides that extended from the floor to the ceiling. He jammed his rifle in between the bars of the door and the cage, effectively locking himself in the small space.

The mutated spider came barreling towards him in blind rage, slamming itself against the bars and thrashing its front legs in at him. He shown the flashlight into its face, which although vaguely resembling that of a humans still possessed eight eyes and pincers. It reeled back, but continued blindly stretching its legs in at the defenseless Leon, who took the opportunity to roll out of a small hole that existed in the side of the cage. Immediately he leapt on the hairy back of the monstrosity, wrestling for control as it thrashed around.

He screamed as he stuck his fingers in all eight of its eyes, trying as best he could not to be bucked off by the blinded beast. It crashed up against the wall right next to the roaring furnace, causing Leon's grip to loosen. As it backed up in panic, Leon pushed hard on the back of its head, and once again it charged furiously. This time however, its head went straight into the flames of the furnace, and it cried so hideously as the flame leapt onto its skin that Leon broke his grip on the creature and collided with the hard stone floor. Through his dazed vision he watched awestruck as the creature haphazardly flailed around, flames leaping off its skin, legs clawing desperately at anything, anything at all that could save it. But the flame grew larger, encompassing the front of its blinded face, and it reared up on its back legs one last time, as the flames flickered off it. It wailed horrendously as it gave up its failing fight for life. It collapsed in a corner, though the flames persevered, charring the already dead creature.

Leon's vision flickered as he lay on the cold floor, and he briefly entertained the idea of letting unconsciousness overcome him, accepting the comforting blackness now that his immediate threat had been neutralized. As his eyes rolled back, desperately searching for the bliss of nothingness, he remembered the photograph of Julia alone and helpless, bruised and broken. He vividly saw the man tied up, bound and defenseless. He groaned as he tried to emerge from his stupor. His hands on his head, he struggled to escape from the dull throb in his head. A sudden image of Ada in her flowing red dress and raven black hair, peering at him from behind her sunglasses was cemented in his mind. With an intense concentration of effort he wrenched his eyes open and grabbed the nearby cage bars to hoist himself up. Back on his feet he hobbled towards where he best estimated the trap door to the cellar was. Behind him, the burning corpse of the monster eradicated the pervasive darkness.

He was one step closer to finding Ada.

A/N2: I have two more chapters already written (though not typed up) so there won't be another one year delay!


	6. Chapter 6

Leon hobbled down the road as best he estimated his body could manage in his injuired condition. Unfortunately, the pace had to be slow and calculated so that he wouldn't collapse under the weight of his injuries. He really couldn't be sure which direction Ada had gone, but deeper he delved into the dark alpine forest; defenseless and unprepared. His videophone had shattered in the fall, leaving him unable to request back up or inform the agency on his mission status. There was, as he expected, no sign of Josiah when he exited the basement. With some concern, Leon observed the quickly darkening sky. This mean that not only could his unknown assailants sneak up on him with greater ease, but it would make finding Ada all that more difficult.

.,.,., .,.,. .,.,., .,.,., .,.,., .,.,., .,.,., .,.,., .,.,.,

She carefully maneuvered her way through the trees, making absolutely sure she never strayed too far from the road, in hopes she could commandeer any sort of vechile. After her encounter at the barn, she had advanced unharmed, and felt herself getting closer to the location in which she had last seen Leon. Perhaps it ws the last time she would ever see him. She shook the idea from her head. He was strong. He was adaptive. He was smart.

"ADA!" A shout rang out through the trees.

"ADA!" It came again.

"That idiot!" Ada muttered to herself. Last time she would ever call him smart! She sprinted toward the source of his voice, feeling a mixture of immense relief and concern over his irresponsibility. She emerged from the treeline, and saw him stumbling along the road, a little ways in front of her. "ADA!" he shouted again.

She put her hands on her hips and called out to him, "You really do have a death wish, don't you?"

He turned around quickly, "You're alive!"

"I wont be for much longer if you keep that up." For a moment neither of them made any movement towards the other.

"You were right. Wesker is out to get you" Leon declared as he slowly advanced towards Ada.

"Yeah, I know."

"Really? How?"

"He told me," she stated bluntly. An aghast expression overtook Leon's face.

"Honesty usually isn't Wesker's style"

"Well," she paused, fixing her stare on the ground in front of her "he also told me you were dead. That means he's either still a liar or he still underestimates your refusal to just give up and die," she bit her lip as her eyes began to well, mixed with sorrow and relief. He ran towards her and embraced her, pulling her body close to his.

"Leon" her voice trailed off as she draped her slender arms around his neck, and rested her head on his chest. She drank in his essence, and for a moment she delved into all the repressed feelings she had tried in vain to smother. For a moment longer, neither spoke, accepting the moment for what it was. She broke down first, not moving, but softly whispering, "Come on Leon, we have to get out of here." She wanted to pull away from him to prove her point, but could not muster the willpower to do so.

She felt a deep sigh well up in his chest. "Ada…" he began regretfully. She instinctively tensed up, but said nothing. "I still have a mission. I can't just walk away."

"This whole situation is just a setup to have us both killed! We have to leave now! We may have survived round one, but Wesker has contingency plans for his contingency plans. If we don't act fast…" she was unable to finish, and looked away from Leon.

"People's lives hang in the balance! Those hostages are still out there, and if there's any chance, any chance at all they're still alive, then I have to try and save them."

Ada involuntarily took a deep gasp of air. "Ada?" Leon questioned through clenched teeth.

"At least one is dead," she slowly informed him.

"How do you know that?" He quickly retorted with a hint of desperation.

She looked with wide eyes straight at him, "I killed him," she whispered. Leon crouched down, and ran his fingers through his hair. "It was an accident, I swear. Wesker said he was my target" she hurriedly explained.

"What about the rest?" he asked quietly.

"Leon … please. Let's get out of here. Once we get somewhere safe you can call in for reinforcements. Look at yourself. You're in no condition to fight!"

"I can't leave these people here to die. I just can't."

She threw him her beretta. "I see you lost yours." She hung her head low, and turned her back to him, walking away slowly. "I guess I'll catch up with you later Leon. Take care of yourself, okay cowoy?"

He stood there dumbfounded, watching the woman he loved walk out of his life once again. He reached out his hand towards her, but lowered it with a sigh. She was falling over the catwalk in Racoon. She was flying away in the helicopter in Spain. She was walking down the wooded mountain road in Romania. But this time was different. This time he had a vestige of power over their destiny.

"Please Ada," he pleaded, "I can't do this alone." She stopped walking, but didn't say anything. "We're so close. I've waited all this time, and I know you have too. This is it. After this I'll give it all up, I'll give everything up to be with you. I just need you by my side for this, and then I'll be by your side forever. I promise you. He clenched his fists tightly, as he stared intently at her back. Slowly she turned to face him, her arms folded. "Well," she said, her voice wavering, "That was quite the speech. It's enough to make a girl feel all warm inside. Even if she was just asked to risk her life against seemingly impossible odds." She laughed quietly. "Come on then, we have a bit of a walk in front of us."


	7. Chapter 7

Darkness settled into the valley, encompassing everything, and sending silhouettes dancing in the moonlight. Leon and Ada moved under the cover of the trees and conversed very little. As they had to move in the shadows, the going was relatively slow. They stopped in the house where Ada had killed the man, and Leon with much regret confirmed that the deceased was the project leader who had gone missing. Afterwards they made their way towards the location was informed she could find Julia Sheppard.

Carefully they wove through the trees, weapons always at the read. "We're almost there, keep your head down." Ada cautioned, shooting a threatening look back at Leon. He raised his arms in mock surrender, and flasher her a toothy smile. An aura of light in the distance illuminated the forest, and eventually the tree line thinned out, revealing a small clearing. In the center was a small cement building, surrounded on all four sides by stadium lights. The heavy metal door was left ajar.

"On my signal," Ada whispered, holding her newly acquired MP5 submachine gun close to her. She closed her eyes, muttered something incomprehensible to Leon, took a deep breath, and burst out into the clearing, sprinting headlong towards the building. Leon emerged right behind her and dashed toward the open door.

They stopped one on each side of the entrance, weapons drawn. Leon poked his head in the open door, before quickly drawing back. He held up his hand, signaling Ada to stay still, and then held up two fingers. Taking a moment to collect himself, he rounded the door and shouted "Drop your weapons!" Ada emulated his actions and burst into the door, gun raised. She observed her surroundings immediately. She appeared to be in a barracks containing a few beds, a desk with a computer, and a few other basic necessities. At the opposite end of the room were two people, both wielding guns. One was a young woman with short brunette hair wearing an olive green trench coat that ended above her knees, and long black boots. The other was a grisly looking old man dressed in a tattered coat and pants, with an old red-army fur hat. Both were shouting wildly in Romanian, and looked deeply concerned at the arrival of Leon and Ada.

"I said drop them!" Leon repeated as he strode confidently forward. Ada stayed stationary, ready to shoot at the slightest provocation. Eventually the duo conceded, and slowly dropped their guns to the floor. "Good," Leon remarked, holstering his own gun in a sign of good faith.

"Speak any English?" he asked as he continued to advance towards the pair. The only response he received was their blank stares. "Perfect!" he exclaimed sarcastically with a roll of the eyes.

"Umbrella?" the women asked in a heavy accent.

"No, CIA" Leon responded. The woman exchanged a quick glance with the old man next to her. He nodded his head with a shrug of his shoulders. After gaining his approval the young woman indicated to one of the beds in the small room. Leon took a quick glance and noticed a trapdoor was underneath it. He beckoned for the man to come help him move it. As they pushed, Ada stared down the woman in uncomfortable silence. However the young Romanian met her gaze eagerly, refusing to back down. Ada couldn't help but flash a small smile at the woman, in admiration of her resilience. A dull metal clank signaled Leon had opened the hatch, and Ada waved her arm, telling the other lady to go ahead of her.

Eventually, all four had descended the rusted ladder to the area below. It was dim with a few flickering light bulbs providing the only light source. Everything in the subterranean dwelling was made of cement or iron, and Leon soon noticed that it was just a hallway lined with jail cells.

"I bet they're down here!" he exclaimed hurriedly, running to the first metal door. He tried to pry it open but to no avail.

"Here," Ada said, flipping several switches on the wall directly to the right of the ladder. The two Romanians nodded thanks to her before anxiously heading off to check in the cells. "Happy hunting," she called out to Leon as she began to climb back up the ladder.

"Wait, where are you going?" Leon asked, puzzled.

"To guard upstairs. I bet this whole facility is bugged and wired with cameras. We're dead if they pin us down here. Don't take too long," she replied before disappearing from view.

Leon wasted no more time, and immediately threw open the nearest door. Nothing. Excited chattering from further down the hall indicated the Romanians discovered whoever they were looking for. Leon opened up the next door and peaked in. In the corner an Indian man who looked to be in his mid 20's was bound and gagged. Leon dashed into the room and removed the cloth from his mouth. "Nikhil?" he asked as the man drew a sharp gasp of air. He was wearing a white dress button up shirt that was stained with blood and dirt.

"Yeah, that's me," he answered, spitting in the corner, as Leon helped him up.

"I'm agent Leon Kennedy, and I'm here to assist in your rescue. Are you okay to walk?"

"Should be fine," he answered taking a few cautious steps forward. He was of average height, and Leon could tell he was muscular, even through his loose fitting shirt, although his most distinctive feature was his long sideburns and soul patch. He was another of the assistants that had gone missing. Leon had untied the ropes, and Nikhil was stretching, which caused him to grimace in pain.

"You okay?" Leon asked stepping forward.

"Yeah, I'll make it," he said cracking his knuckles. "Though you need to check on Julia a.s.a.p. As far as I know, she's just a few cells down," he lowered his head sadly and his voice softened. "She's in real bad shape. I'm not sure what she's been through exactly, but…" he trailed off, looking away.

"I'll be right back," Leon informed him and hurried out of the cell. He threw every door open as he ran down the dark, damp corridor. Eventually he pulled a door open to find a woman huddled in the corner.

"Julia?" Leon asked tentatively as he slowly approached her. She made no attempt to respond. "Julia, I'm Agent Leon kennedy and…"

"I know who you are," she interrupted. Her voice was completely devoid of any emotion but sounded incredibly exhausted. Leon knelt down beside her, but she continued her dead stare straight forward. Her whole body was bruised, dirtied, and covered in traces of dried blood. Her hair was a complete mess, in stark contrast to the styled, layered cut Leon remembered her sporting before. Her face looked dead; exhausted and full of pain. She almost looked like a zombie out of Raccoon. "We've met before, remember?" she slowly continued as Leon untied her hands.

"Julia come on, he's here to take us home. We can finally leave this hell," a voice from the door called out. Leon turned around to see Nikhil leaning against the entrance to the cell.

Julia slowly turned to face Leon for the first time. Her eyes suddenly grew wide and began to well with tears. Her lip quivered. "How-how can I go back?" she stuttered quietly. "After all of this…" she looked at her hands, "after what they've done to me," she continued in a whisper. "How can I go back to my family, my friends, my life?" She suddenly stood up and hugged Leon tightly as she began to sob. "There's such a chill," she gasped.

"Breathe… just keep breathing," Leon instructed. "You can beat this. Be brave Julia, I know you have it in you."

She took a couple deep breaths, squeezing Leon tightly. I'm sorry. Goodbye Leon," she whispered into his ear.

"NO!" he heard Nikhil shout from behind him. He simultaneously felt Julia's hand drop to his waste and grab his pistol, and her pushing away from him. She pulled the trigger before he had time to react.

He fell to the floor petrified, his eyes wide in horrified shock, his hands trembling. He was shell shocked, and he stared horrified at grisly aftermath for a moment, before quickly averting his eyes. His ears were ringing as he turned around. He faintly noted Nikhil covering his face with one hand as he hung his head against the door. He saw the two Romanians from earlier, plus a third run up to the door before turning away.

He got to his feet and staggered to the doorway. "I'm sorry" he blankly told Nikhil.

Nikhil ran his fingers through his hair as he turned towards Leon. "Yeah. Me too," he muttered meekly.

"Leon!" he heard Ada shout. He looked toward the opposite end of the hallway to see her descending the ladder. "What happened?" she asked with deep concern, shooting a suspicious glance at the Romanian trio. She looked back at Leon, who could barely meet her gaze. "What happened?" she repeated, and began to walk down the hallway.

"Don't," Leon somberly commanded as she approached Julia's room. "She disarmed me and shot herself," he bitterly informed her. "I failed her."

"Oh Leon!" Ada exclaimed, horrified as she walked up to hug him.

"Hey Americans! I am very sorry for your loss, but we need to leave now or we all will be dead!" The third Romanian called out. He appeared to be in his mid 30's, and sported a stubbly beard and very short dark brown hair.

"He's right," Ada concurred. Leon nodded in assent, and the small group converged on the ladder. "I am Dragos, leader of a small militant group based around the communist ideology. These are my comrades, Sebastian and Adela." He explained as they began to file up the ladder.

"Were you captured?" Leon managed to ask as they all surfaced onto the floor above.

"Yesterday they captured me, yes." Dragos replied.

"They, being?" Ada asked hurriedly as Sebastian poked his head out the doorway, scanning for danger.

"I do not know the organization, but they are lead by a man named Albert Wesker," he gravely answered. "He is a very bad man. Him and his men have unleashed unspeakable horrors upon my comrades and our country men every since they began operations here."

"We gotta go," Nikhil anxiously interrupted.

"He is right," Dragos nodded. "I never thought I would say this to agents of the American government, but luck be with you." And with that, the three ran out into the night.

Ada wasted no time. "Behind me!" she shouted, and out after the Romanians. Briefly looking over her shoulder to affirm that the two men were behind her, she sprinted in the same direction as the Romanians. It hadn't occurred to her before, but she needed a phone so that Leon could request a pickup.

A burst of gunfire from the threshold of the forest scattered the group before Ada could put anymore thought into the idea. Ada saw a second burst rip through Sebastian, and the old Romanian collapsed in a heap. Adela yelled and sent a salvo of fire in the direction of the source of her friend's death. Ada added an accompanying burst of fire as she continued her headlong spring towards the forest. In the distance she saw Dragos and Sebastian jump into the tree line before another barrage of bullets sounded.

A few more desperate yards brought her into the forest, and she was extremely grateful for no longer being openly exposed to the enemy gunfire. She advanced a few steps forward, hearing Leon and Nikhil enter the forest behind her. Suddenly she felt an immense throb in her head as she tumbled to the ground, dropping her gun. She felt herself yanked up so that she was standing upright. She struggled to maintain consciousness as she felt a pair of arms constricting around her waist. She saw Leon and Nikhil were apprehended in a similar manner by dark suited commandos. A pasty, evil looking man emerged from behind a tree. Through the darkness and haze from her injury, Ada could scarcely make out anything, but she swore she saw a smug grin plastered on his face.

"Hello again, Mr. Kennedy" the evil man greeted Leon with evident satisfaction.

"Josiah, I'll kill you!" Leon shouted, struggling to break loose of the man who held him.

"Yes, of course you will," Josiah mused quietly. He paused for a second, before pointing at each Ada, Leon, and Nikhil. "One, two, three," he counted as his finger fell on each of them. "Hmm…" he pondered as he held his index finger to his lips, and cocked his head back in mock contemplation. "I could've sworn I had two American hostages locked up down there, and yet, I only see one. Lorinc, did you gun any of them down as they left the compounds?"

"Just a Romanian sir," one of the commandos responded.

"Odd! Did Ms. Sheppard not want to part from us? I don't really blame her; we were taking such good care of her."

"I'll break you, you sick bastard!" Nikhil shouted as both he and Leon desperately tried to break free.

"Enough. It's time for you all to die," Josiah exclaimed as he removed a syringe from his front pocket.

Ada began to struggle in vain as he walked towards her. But he stuck the needle in her arm, and the last thing she heard was Leon shout her name as she collapsed into oblivion.


	8. Chapter 8

The sun shone brightly on Ada, and for a moment she closed her eyes and basked in its warmth/ When she opened them, she saw Leon seated across a small wrought iron table, his legs crossed, and holding a small cup of espresso. He flashed her a smile that was warmer than the sun, but said nothing. She slowly turned her head around, observing the hustle of a busy Parisian street. She came to the realization that she was at her favorite bistro in all of Paris, L'Ardoise. In the air above her, a pigeon lazily flew toward the street in a slow downward spiral.

"Where was that restraint you wanted to go to tonight?" Leon casually asked her, sounding utterly relaxed. She was about to answer when Leon turned to his right and called out to a young waitress standing near the table adjacent to theirs. "Miss, can you bring me another cup when you get the chance?"

The blonde girl turned around to face him with a large smile. Ada withdrew immediately in shock as she instantly recognized the waitress to be Ashley Graham. "Certainly!" she exclaimed with a smile. "And can I get anything for you miss?" she added, folding her hands behind her back as she politely smiled at Ada.

"N-no, I'm fine, thank you," Ada responded, confused. Not far away someone began to play a happy tune on the violin. Leon turned around in the direction of the music, and waived the man over.

"I'll be right back with your drink sir," Ashley informed Leon. She turned towards Ada again as she began to walk away. "You're so close. Just a little longer, that's all. After all this time, you need to hang in there just a little longer and everything you've ever wanted will be yours. I promise," she said with a smile before walking away. The violinist had made his way over to the table, and Leon laughed merrily and gave a whistle of admiration. Ada withdrew in shock, recognizing the musician as the deceased Luis. He smiled at her as his bow danced across the strings of his violin, and Ada noted with horror that there was a gaping hole in the middle of his stomach. Leon didn't seem to notice, and looked thoroughly entertained. He began to move the bow at an increasingly quickening pace as the performance reached its climax, then in a showman's display of grandeur, he dramatically thrust the bow into the air following the last note, and took a deep bow.

"Bravo!" Leon whistled, laughing.

"Gracias," Luis replied. "You will want to wake up for this next song, my dear," he addressed Ada.

Leon turned to face her. "He's right, you need to wake up,"

"Leon, I don't understand…"

"WAKE UP ADA!"

She gasped as she wrenched her eyes open. Her head ached incredibly, and everything appeared upside down. In a moment of comprehension, she realized that she was upside down, hanging by a rope high above the ground. She quickly turned around and saw that Leon and Nikhil were also suspended in a similar fashion. Most worrisome however, was the fact they were all in what appeared to be a giant domed cage.

"Oh no…" she muttered to herself as memories of the giant winged monster that attacked Leon on the roadside flooded back to her. She heard a loud clanging noise from down below. Someone had just closed the door to the cage. A loud screech erupted from the bottom.

"Ada, quickly, swing over to me!" Leon shouted. She obliged, and worked up the momentum, swaying back and forth, until she was close enough that she was able to grab hold of Leon. "Don't let go until I say so," he commanded, "then push away from me as hard as you can."

She nodded in assent, and gasped as the flying black monster soared out of the tree tops. It stopped, hovering in midair for a moment. Its red eyes stared straight at the three before it swooped at Leon and Ada. Its arms reached out at them, and it opened its mouth in anticipation.

"NOW!" Leon screamed as it dove in for the kill. They pushed against each other, and separated quickly, but the sharp wings of the monster caught the ropes as they separated, severing them. Leon reached out and grabbed on to Nikhil, causing the two to swing all the way to the edge of the cage. They both desperately grasped for the bars and managed to secure a grip.

Ada was briefly in a freefall before hitting the upper canopy of the small cluster of dead trees. The branches whipped at her and scratched her face as she tumbled down, reaching for a grip. The wind was knocked out of her as she collided with a branch. She gasped, but wrapped her arms around it, stopping her headlong plunge. How she wished she had her grapple gun.

Above, the evil creature soared up to the top of the cage before diving down towards Leon. He was franticly working to untie the rope from Nikhil's feet, and finally loosened it as the demon began its descent. They scurried down the side of the cage as it flew towards them, and it was just about to sink its claws into Leon's back when he pushed off against the bars into a back flip, with the monster flying just overhead. It tumbled downwards, barely missing Nikhil, who jumped off away from its collapsed form. He joined Leon who was in a headlong spring to the cluster of trees by which Ada was situated.

With a cry of anger, the creature stood on its two hind legs, and expanded its leathery black wings fully, tilting its head toward the air. Leon and Nikhil dived behind a tree, where they found Ada crouching. Fine red lines from the tree branches dotted her face, and her hair was a mess. "Take these!" she shouted, tossing long sturdy branches to Leon and Nikhil. Leon noticed that she had tied the rope she was hanging from around the trunk of the tree. She held the end of it in her hands and dashed out from behind the tree, until she reached the cage side a few yards away. Quickly she tied a knot before backing away from the rope.

"Ada, get back here!" Leon shouted, beckoning to her from behind the tree. She ignored him, placing her hands on her hips and staring out towards the creature, which was in a fit of rage, thrashing and screeching, after its failed assault on Leon.

"Hey ugly!" she shouted, "I shoulda finished you off while I had the chance! What are you waiting for, come and get me!" she taunted. It took a few steps before spreading its wings and gliding toward her head first. Anxiously, she took a few steps back as it rapidly closed in on her. Just as it was about to strike, it threw its head back, so that its six arms, feet, and the tips of its wings were all pointed directly at her, ready to tear her apart, just as she wanted it to. A moment later its stomach collided with the tightly wound rope, throwing it back to the ground.

Leon and Nikhil wasted no time, burst out from behind the tree. Leon observed open wounds in its stomach, caused from the gunshots Ada inflicted earlier. With all his might he drove the branch into one of the openings. Nikhil followed suit, and the simultaneous blows caused the demon to cry out a shrill, horrible death rattle before it ceased thrashing and became motionless.

For a moment, all three stood still, panting heavily. Finally, Ada spoke, "Never play chicken with me. I always win."

"I've noticed," Leon said between breaths.

"That's it!" A loud voice shouted from the edge of the cage. Josiah Hodges approached, his pale face a crimson red.

"I believe that's 2-0, in my favor," Leon called out.

"Humph! Wesker and his instructions can be damned! That's two of MY creations you've managed to kill now. Dead is dead, and I've got a team of men with automatic rifles here. All the acrobatics in the world won't help you dodge a bullet. Fire at will!" he shouted. Leon, Ada, and Nikhil ran back to the cover of the trees as shots rang out from all sides. However, they soon realized the fire wasn't focused on them. Yells and shouts were heard from all around outside, as bursts of fire erupted all around.

Regardless, the three huddled close together behind a tree, until silence once again overtook the valley. The rusty metal gate to the cage creaked as it opened once again, and footsteps padded against the ground.

"Are you still alive in here, Americans?" the accented voice of Dragos called out. Leon breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

"Thanks to you, yes," he replied.

"You put on quite an impressive show in there, but you are lucky to be alive. Come, follow me and soon we will see if we can get you home." Dragos replied, walking over towards Leon, and handing him a canteen of water. For a brief moment Ada felt her heart flutter and an inexplicable wave of joy washed over her. It was just like Ashley had told her in her dream; she just had to hold on a little longer, and everything she ever hoped for would come true.

A/N: writing action sequences is fun, because you can kinda picture moments where a TAP A would appear during a cutscene. Anyways, reviews always appreciated!!


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